William "Bill" Palmer

October 2, 1945 - August 16, 2016

William E. Palmer, the son of Earl and Velma Palmer, was born on October 2, 1945 at the Spirit Lake Hospital. He grew up in Milford and after high school he joined the United States Army, serving in Vietnam. Upon receiving his honorable discharge, he returned to Milford and pursued his interest in metal working by taking classes and becoming a certified welder. He traveled to and worked in several states including Ohio and the Texas gulf coast where he was a welder on oil rigs. He returned to Milford to assist in caring for his father who had developed Alzheimer’s. Bill continued to develop his interest in metal working by creating, equipping and operating a foundry. The time spent working and creating in his foundry were especially rewarding for him. He participated in many craft shows and enjoyed talking with the people and explaining the process he used to create the pieces he had on display. On August 19, 1995 Bill and JoEllen were married outside their lake home in Spirit Lake. Bill’s happiest times were spent at his home with JoEllen, Cody and their cat. He had worked at Lakes Regional Healthcare in the building maintenance department and retired in 2009. Bill enjoyed traveling, boating, fishing and having the time to spend with his family. Bill passed away on August 16, 2016 at Lakes Regional Healthcare at the age of 70. He is survived by his wife of 20 years, JoEllen; children, Jason and Lissa; step children, Jeff and Justin; grandchildren, Jake, Denin, Jade, Jack, Kolby and Emily. Memorial services will be 6:00 pm Friday August 19th at the Schuchert-Lentz Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Visitation will be from 4:00 pm until service time.